Chapter 123

SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 26

As Jeff jogged down the driveway at 4:00 A.M., I miss Kayla already, but tonight, she'll be my wife. I'll bet Lieutenant Mayfield will miss her this morning, too; she's fun to run with.

Hmmm. I know he's pushing the security team to train hard. I need to make sure they're getting enough R&R, though. Mayfield is young and obviously wants to impress, and that's fine, but pushing his people too much will cause problems, also. This should be a cushy assignment, but along with an easy assignment comes boredom, too. I need to make sure their rec room has everything they need — everything.

Mayfield was waiting at the bottom of the drive. As he fell in beside Jeff and they started down the mountain, the Lieutenant said, "I wondered whether Kayla would run with you this morning."

Jeff chuckled as he skirted a patch of ice. "Unh uh. Diana says I can't see my bride before the wedding. You know how it is. Women control a large portion of the money in the world and have all the pussy. So I said..."

"Yes, Ma'am," both men chorused, then chuckled.

Running on in companionable silence for a time, Jeff finally looked over at the Lieutenant, "How's Kayla doing with her training? And don't bullshit me, Lieutenant. A lie from you now might get her killed later on if something happens."

"Yes, Sir. I wouldn't do that, Sir."

"Hell, I know. I shouldn't have said that."

"She's sharp, Sir. She has a long way to go, of course, and she doesn't have enough a ... uh, she doesn't have the mass the guys do, just like most other women in the unit, but she is learning quickly. Her instructor is having her concentrate on moves that require less strength, but she's blazingly fast. As I'm sure you're aware, Doctor Boswell is also teaching her, and all your wives how to defend themselves. Kayla took me down with a move I didn't expect. She said Doctor Boswell had taught it to her. Our instructor was impressed, and is now teaching the rest of our people the move."

Jeff and the Lieutenant ran in silence for a while as they watched the light snow that had been falling became a lot harder for a moment, then it slacked up again. "Lieutenant, I don't want her to become overconfident. And neither do I want her hurt badly, but make sure your instructor doesn't let her win when they spar, just because she's my mate."

"He wouldn't..."

"Tell him that, anyway. Also tell him, I understand full-speed hand-to-hand occasionally produces injuries, no matter how careful the instructor is. Kayla must be aware of her limitations. I don't want her to discover them during an attack. That could get her killed. How's she coming with the rifle and our other weapons?

"Like a duck to water. All she needs is time and practice."

"I know she has spent a lot of her own time on the firing range when she came back to the base on what was supposed to be R&R from her archeological duties. She said she usually took a day to go shopping and take in a movie, but spent a lot of relaxation time honing her shooting skills."

They were silent again for a time when the Lieutenant snapped a glance at his Colonel. "I've heard that your other wives shoot really well, too, and that you and your women went through that mercenary group like a dose of laxative. Also, Sir, there's hardly a day that goes by that someone doesn't run that vid of you taking out Buckmann."

There was barely suppressed anger in Jeff's voice as he said, "Buckmann went way beyond the pale when he ordered my wives killed." Jeff mentally cringed as the image of Arlene's blood-covered chest brought on chills. "Arlene almost died that day. I don't want something like that to happen again — ever."

"No, Sir, and it won't. Our perimeter defenses are all functional, as you well know. Now that they're complete, your worry of a helicopter bringing in mercs is over. It would now be just another method of suicide for anyone who tried. They wouldn't get within five miles of this mountain, and I have my choice of weapons to accomplish their demise. Conversely, Mr. Wainwright's helicopters, and any others that may come in bringing passengers, are completely free and safe to do so. Now that your 'radar' has become part of the equation, we can actually see inside any aircraft entering our airspace.

"A fighter coming in will be blown to bits as soon as its weapons go hot, and that's true even if we were all taking a siesta — or dead. With the satellite coverage we have, we'll know about any plane headed this way for an extended period of time before it can get within range. Again, with your radar melded into our system, and our off-world weapons, any missile fired in this direction, even if the plane is well past the horizon and thirty or forty miles away, has zero chance of getting here. And the plane will be toast too, unless there is substantial terrain between it and us. Even then, there are satellites that are capable of taking it down if we couldn't, and unless countermanded, they will do just that.

"We've also been expanding our sensors down the mountain. We can now tell what the special of the day is at Martha's Restaurant without bothering to pick up the phone, and we can hear everything spoken in a vehicle on the way up here. We have not, however, invaded the privacy of any of your neighbors' homes — what few there are."

"That's good. I try to wave, or chat with anyone I can when we're out on this road, but it's easy to get on someone's bad side if they think you might invade their privacy. The added traffic on the road because of my security is impossible to hide. And when I go somewhere, our little parade is a dead giveaway. I guess I'm just going to have to learn to live with 'the rich man on the mountain, ' stigma. By the way, I intend to turn around at the five mile marker there," Jeff said, pointing to a tree with a blaze on it about a hundred yards down the road.

"Cutting the run short because of tonight?" Mayfield asked, grinning.

"Obeying my Queen," the Prime answered.

TWO HELICOPTERS COMMANDED BY GENERAL WHITWORTH APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH — SECURITY HAS CLEARED THE GENERAL'S HELICOPTER TO LAND AT OUR PAD. THE SECOND HELICOPTER IS CLEARED TO LAND AT THE SECURITY INSTALLATION, the computer announced.

Jeff, sitting in the living room looking out the window, strained to look back over his shoulder at the big screen displaying the two helicopters. I could swear that program is getting smarter every day. It sounds almost human. The wording changes as well as the emphasis. There's an undercurrent of something — sarcasm, smugness ... something.

Joyce interrupted his thoughts as she came in and plopped down in his lap. "Arlene is going to pick up the General and his wives," she said, as if Jeff didn't know. She quickly unbuttoned her blouse. "We still have time. Suck my tits, Husband."

Jeff hadn't been born yesterday. Seldom did his wives refer to their breasts as tits, and when they did it was usually meant to stimulate him sexually, or send him a message that whoever was doing it was ready to play. He also knew that none of his current wives would give him any pussy on a wedding day. His contemplation was interrupted as the young deputy shoved a perfect breast against his mouth.

"Suck it, Husband. I won't be able to have you for two whole nights."

"Selina might come in..."

"She won't. She went with Arlene to pick up the General and his wives. Besides, we've already talked to her about that. If she walks in on us, she has promised to immediately turn around and leave. Kids catch their parents all the time. Plus she has told us that she has viewed porn on the web, and has surreptitiously watched her parents having sex — for research, as she puts it. It's not as if we're going to have sex; I just need my titties sucked — ohhh, that's just right. Ohhhh."

Jeff's wives could all have orgasms from his nursing their breasts. Joyce had two small orgasms, then buttoned her blouse, kissed her husband and quickly left the living room.

When Jeff walked out into the hall, he saw Diana coming out of the kitchen. His Queen had a smug look on her face which told Jeff she knew what he and Joyce had been doing. I wonder if she put Joyce up to it. Ten to one, they've decided to keep me stimulated all day. I wonder how they're going to do that with the General here. I saw Diana glance down to see if I had an erection. She almost frowned when she saw I didn't.

Just as they got to the inside garage door, Jeff grabbed Diana and kissed her deeply while gently capping his hand over her mound.

"Jeff, we can't do this, the General is..." she mumbled against his lips.

" ... coming through the door any second," he finished for her. He drew a finger across where he thought her clit was, hitting it perfectly. She shivered and her nipples popped out.

Jeff turned away and grabbed her hand. They had no more than two seconds to wait before the door opened and Ellen walked through, shortly followed by Barbara, Arlene and General Whitworth with a smiling Selina holding his hand.

Jeff fought to keep his face straight, as the General's eyes momentarily locked onto the twin bumps in Diana's top, then snapped to her face.

Astonishing Jeff, Diana said with a snigger, "Sorry about the headlights. My loving husband's idea of a joke, plus you're family anyway."

Selina capped her hand across her mouth to keep from giggling aloud, then ran on down the hall, obviously happy, the genius in her subdued for the moment.

There were a couple seconds of silence, then the General burst out laughing. Turning to his wives, "Go dump the bras. When in Rome..."

Arlene and Diana, accompanied by the General's women, went on down the hall talking and giggling.

"Welcome home," Jeff said as he and the General watched the women walk away.

"It's beginning to really feel like home, Colonel. And my wives love it here, not only because they like everybody, but also because they don't have to pretend."

The men had started leisurely walking down the hall toward the living room as they chatted. "I brought you a present, and one for each of your team as well."

"Oh?" Jeff acknowledged, but he could tell from the General's tone that he wasn't talking about a personal present.

"Wainwright didn't tell you?"

"He said they were finishing a project for you, but if I remember correctly, we got sidetracked by the women, and I guess we never finished the conversation. Something to do with a new combat outfit. I know the idea came from a planet we visited, but I didn't get the details."

The two men entered the living room and sat near the fire. As they seated themselves, Caitlin came in pushing a cart laden with coffee and snacks. She greeted the General and gave him a hug.

Jeff reached over and gently swatted Caitlin's butt. "You shouldn't be waiting on us, Babe. This is your off day, and you've had damn few of them lately."

Caitlin leaned over and kissed him. "That comment fits Joyce better than it does me. I get at least Sunday off, and sometimes Saturday. She seldom gets a shift off, but she did manage to take off tonight and tomorrow night because of the weddings."

She poured each of the men coffee, kissed Jeff hard, almost causing him to spill his drink, and was gone.

Jeff got up, uncovered one of the dishes, took a knife and cut two slices.

"What's that?" the General asked.

"Diana said she was baking a blueberry-lemon coffee cake, so I guess this is it. It darn sure looks good to me." Putting the General's piece on a plate, Jeff handed it to him, then sat to taste his own.

The General took a bite, then, "Well, I can see that my wives are going to be taking another recipe home. That's too good to not have again. They spoil you, you know."

"And yours don't?" Jeff teased.

"Damn straight," the General said as he borrowed one of Jeff's favorite expressions.

A little later, the men had finished the coffee cake, and were on their third cup of coffee. "So what did you bring us?"

"Remember a couple of years back, that planet with the little animal that had camouflage that worked so effectively you could barely see them, even when you knew where they were?"

"Sure."

"My scientists and Wainwright's finally figured out their secret, well mostly figured it out. The material we've made isn't as strong as we would like it to be — we hoped to make it bullet resistant — but it's worn on top of your combat suit, and we can now turn the effect on or off just like the animal can. In low light you're virtually invisible, and even in bright daylight, with the right background, you're very difficult to see. It's highly stretchable, and goes over your combat gear, even your face. It's thin enough that you can see through it from the inside, and it doesn't block the helmet sensors at all. Your team is going to test it for us, possibly under combat conditions."

"Why? Are they going on a mission off-planet?"

"Nooo, but the results from the lab tests were remarkable. The next step is to have a team test it, and this mountain is an excellent site for that. Also, I have some sources who think something is going to happen. If it does, it might just be an excellent test of the camouflage under combat conditions."